Fellowship of the Outcasts
by Seraphic Guardian
Summary: An unlikely party consisting of an elf ranger, a half-orc monk, a human cleric, a dwarf wizard and a halfling rogue travel together to find the ultimate treasure...in the meantime finding that sticking together and friendship are worth more than anything.
1. Chapter 1

Fellowship of the Outcasts: Chapter One: "A Monk Who Drinks?!"

I do not own Dungeons or Dragons,

the character's classes,

or Burz Gro-Khash's name.

Enjoy!

Aerendyl nocked the arrow; quietly, silently. Drawing it back, the air in his throat caught as he stopped breathing. His head cleared and he aimed the head of the arrow at the target. A young buck, majestic and tall, grazing in a small clearing. Time seemed to slow down, his vision focused and his fingers slipped from the arrow. Time stopped, a small thud echoed in the clearing, then regained its balance as the buck hit the ground. He stood up, unstringing his bow and tying it to his back, walking over to the buck.

A clean hit and a couple days rations, along with some spending money. He skinned the buck and pulled the meat, wrapping some of it in paper, placing it in his pack. He dragged the small stretcher he had made previously to the buck, and tying it to the sled-like transport, he began to make his way back to town, to sell the remains and get boarding for the night.

When he arrived in the town, he quickly traded what he hadn't stripped from the buck, along with the stretcher, for some more rations and a small amount of gold pieces. He made his way to the tavern, weaving between the common populace, his ears and sharp features hidden by the cowl he wore. Once the elf had located the tavern locale, he entered and took a seat near the back. After ordering a flagon of ale, he noticed a figure near him was watching him.

The only way he could tell was that the figure's head was pointing directly at him, and though he wore a large hood, he could tell the figure was not asleep by how he gripped his mug. Scowling, Aerendyl stood up and payed the waitress, then took to the stairs, up to the room he had previously reserved. Entering the room, he quickly shut the door and stood near it, his dagger at the ready. Soon enough, footsteps quietly approached his door. Then, a knock. Aerendyl paused, then stood up and opened the door. If the figure indeed was an assassin, why knock?

Sure enough, it was the same person, though with their hood down, Aeren could tell it was a half orc male. "Yes?" He asked sharply, wondering about the intrusion.

"Good evening, Ranger." The half orc was surprisingly polite for his kind."My friends and I wondered if you would join us in our room for a bowl of wine and a proposition."

Aeren frowned. What could the half-orc mean? A proposition?

"What kind of proposition?" Aeren asked suspiciously.

"The kind that has great rewards and knowledge at the end, if you care to join us..." The half-orc smiled. "But please, if you feel uncomfortable, I will introduce myself. I am Burz Gro-Khash, Monk." That would explain why he held no weapons...

"What kind of monk?" Aeren had met a few distasteful monks in his day, who, surprisingly enough, had tried to kill him for being an elf.

"I am of the noble drunken boxer school, Ranger." The half orc bowed. "Graduated at the top of my class."

"A drunken boxer?"Aerendyl had never even heard of that specific school. "You realize that doesn't sound very tasteful..."

"It's how you use your skills, not what they're called. So how about it? Will you join us, for just a drink at least?" The half orc appraised him, looking him up and down. "We could use a ranger for what we're looking for."

Aerendyl looked back into his room. It was either a night alone with a comfortable fire, or a night with what could be a bunch of rowdy half orcs and mindless drinking. It wasn't a very hard choice normally...but Burz had said that there would be riches...and he needed the funds. "I'll give it a chance." He stated quietly to the half-orc.

"Good! Follow me then." Burz back up, allowing Aeren to exit, then began to lead down the hall. "We are located at another tavern, one far less...rowdy. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves, lest we are followed and word about what we're looking for gets out." Arendyl nodded. It was sound thinking.

"Oy! Pignose! How about some drinks?" A large man stood in the corner, yelling at the half-orc. "How much longer does your slavery count for? Another hundred years?" There were some laughs from his fellows, sitting around him. The man was obviously drunk, and Burz grunted. "And you called me distasteful, elf. Look at that." He took a swig out of his flask, replacing it at his belt. "If we get into a fight, I need some gin in my belly." He explained quietly. "But we shall first attempt to leave quietly." He continued walking towards the door, Aeryn in tow. "Hey! Greenshkin! I wash talking to you!" The large man lumbered over to them, and Burz turned, taking another swig.

"I suggest you turn around, before I hand you back to your friends in a broken pile of bones." Burz stated quietly. "We only wish to leave in peace."

"An orc and an elf? You two going to fuck?" Another laugh from his friends. "I think the Elf's ass is a little small, unless hes the real man!"

Aeryn's upper lip twitched, and he spoke. "Let us leave this pompous fool, before he signs his own deathwish." The man started laughing at this. "oooh! The little elf thinks hes a big tough ma-_glrph_!" His speech was inhibited by a leather-hilted knife that suddenly appeared, sticking out of the man's throat. He fell down, quiet dead, and his fellows stood up in a rage, jaunting and yelling.

"Not smart..." Burz took a large swig, draining the rest of his flask in one gulp. "Effective, but not smart." His eyez dazed over as the drink started setting in. "Get ready for a fight." He took an odd stance, swaying back and forth slowly. Calls of "Fight, fight, fight, fight!" echoed throughout the tavern as the other men made a lazy half-circle around the elf and half-orc. "You _**can**_ fight, yesh?" Aeryn sneered. "I still wonder how you fight, already smashed with ale as you are." The half orc laughed. "Oh, you'll shee, alright! I'll take those two, you take the other one, that fine?"

The elf nodded, and Burz sprang into action, tackling one man, then rolling and sweepkicking the other, grabbing the men's heads, he brought them together, with a large_ thump_, knocking them out.Aeryn watched in amazement, forgetting the other man. He barely ducked in time, a large scimitar swinging just above his head. Growling, he reached out quickly, grabbing the side of the man's head, then swung up onto his back. The man, surprised, started trying to fling the elf's small frame off of him. The man stopped swinging, then collapsed to the ground, Aeryn's knife sticking out of the back of the man's neck. He retreived it, and cleaned it.

The orc was at his side once again, growling. "Idiots don't know when to quit." Four more men had sprank up from their tables, and the orc pushed the elf back. "We need an escape route." He put a hand to his stomach, and took a great breath. Just as the men almost got to them, he blew out his breath, and flame sprang from his lips, stopping the men in their tracks. The men backed up, horrified as the half-orc continued spewing flame, while simultaneously pushing the elf out the door and backing out. As soon as he stopped, he slammed the door to the tavern shut and starting running, Aeryn easily keeping pace. "What in the abyss was THAT!?"

Burz grinned. "Little trick all drunken boxers know. We use our inner _ki_ to ignite the ale in our bellies as we spit it out. Nice and easy way to keep enemies back and sober up instantly. We're here." He opened the door to the tavern quickly, a small one, with hardly anyone in it. Pushing Aeryn inside, he closed the door, then started to walk up the stairs. "Are you ready to meet the group?" Aeryn nodded, and Burz opened the door. Two heads looked up, but niether were half-orcs. A human woman and a bearded dwarf looked up, smiling at the arrival of their comrade, and at the appearence of a new face...


	2. Chapter 2

Fellowship of the Outcasts

Chapter Two

"Halfling Rogues are so stereotypical..."

I do not own the name Tommy Undergallows,

nor the character.

The fire cast shadows across the room and over the faces of the four sitting at a table in the small tavern room. Aerendyl studied the faces of the three sitting around him. From the introductions, he knew their name and profession. The dwarf man, Jorander Rockhall, was a wizard. The human woman, Alexis Heartborn, was a cleric.

He didn't trust them, or this plan. He snapped out of his reverie of thoughts and payed more attention to the conversation. "-we have! We've got nothing else to think of." The woman was arguing with Burz about something. "I know, Alex, but I think we should still keep looking, at least for just one more week. The lead points us to Crag Hollow..." A flash of...something, echoed across his face and Alex put a hand to his shoulder. "I know, Burz, believe me. We all do, but if it is there, think of what this would mean? The one place we absolutely refused to look...it makes sense, doesn't it?"

Burz sighed and nodded. "I suppose. But still...will it be worth it, facing what...who, we know lies there in wait?" They became silent, the dwarf shifting in his quiet corner, the cleric and monk sat thinking. Aerendyl spoke for the first time since the introduction. "Whos going to be leading this little expedition?" Burz and Alex looked at each other, then the dwarf spoke. "Well, laddy, what do you think we brought you here for? A cup o' tea?"

Aeren looked at the three of them. "You want me to lead you? You don't even know me? This is ridiculous."

Alex frowned. "What does that matt-" Burz quieted her with a hand on her shoulder, and looked straight at him. "What she means is, you are a Ranger, Aeren...We could use your tracking abilities...it only makes sense that you would lead it."

Aeren frowned and watched the three of them in turn. It did make sense for him to take point, though he couldn't shake this feeling he had that that wasn't the only reason they were making him leader...He closed his eyes and thought. Yes, he could do this. Though he had no idea what they were talking of about someone waiting there for them, he knew of Crag Hollow. A dreaded place, filled with the undead and corrupted. A non-stop sea of monsters and bandits, spirits and convicts...a difficult terrain.

"What are we looking for exactly, in Crag Hollow?" he opened his eyes. "What lays at the end of this adventure?" The dwarf remained quiet, and Alex shifted uncomfortably. Burz looked at them, then at Aeren. "A book." Aeren opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, just staring at them incredulously. After a moment, he said what he had been about to, but in nicer words. "We are going to brave undead monsters and swarms of bandits for...a book?" He finished quietly.

"Yes, but the book, it is-" Alex glared at Burz.

"No more! He will find out only after we have found it Burz." He nodded, then turned back to Aeren. "It is a book of unbelievable knowledge and power, I will leave it at that." Aeren sighed inwardly. If what they said was true, it could well be worth the effort. "I'm in." he said simply, folding his arms. "When do we leave?" Burz grinned approval, and the dwarf spoke again. "Well, in the morning o'course. Just afore the sun rises."

Aerendyl looked around at the three once more. All wore a smile on their face, and he couldn't help but wear one also. It had been a long time since he had gone on an adventure quite like this. He still didn't trust them, but he felt slightly giddy about what he was getting himself into. A brand new day would start, and he would be leading the group..._his_ group, into danger and, who knows what else!

They all awoke refreshed and ready in the morning. They all began their morning work to pack up, the dwarf memorizing his spells, muttering incoherantly in the corner with his spellbook. Aeren made sure his stock of arrows was full, along with his rations and drink, water. Alexis chatted amiably with Burz while he filled his flask with wine from their group's pack. As soon as they were ready to head out, they headed out the city gate, into the forest. They all looked to Aeren, and he frowned. "Crag Hollow is almost a week away...what brought you all the way here for answers?"

None of them gave an answer, but he figured they would soon enough. "We start to the south then. After we..." He stopped suddenly, and everyone looked to him, confused. He put a finger to his lips, then stealthily slipped into the shadows. The party wondered where he went, then heard a small cry, almost that of a child, then the sound of something falling to the forest floor. Aeren appeared after a moment, dragging what seemed to be a young boy tied in ropes behind him. "We had an eavesdropper." Burz smiled. Apparently his choice of the elf was a good one.

The small figure mumbled curses from behind the gag that had been shoved into his mouth, and Alexis bent and pulled it out. The small figure glared, then spit at the elf. "I'm wasn't easedropping, guv! Honest!"

Alexis kneeled down gracefully. "Whats your name, halfling?" The halfling grinned, then made a feeble attempt at a bow while tied up. "Tom to my friends, Grin to the ladies, and "That damned halfing!" to anyone of respectable authority. But you can call me Tommy Undergallows, miss."

Aeren smirked. "A halfing rogue. How stereotypical." Tommy growled and struggled, trying to escape his bondages. "Oy! You take that back, you!" The dwarf put a hand to the elf's back, then motioned for him to bend down. The elf obliged, and the dwarf began whispering in his ear. The elf looked confused, but then grinned widely. "Tell you what, Tommy Undergallows. We may have a use for you. If you were to join us, we won't report you to the guards." Tommy's eyes widened, then he grinned sneakily. "For what? I haven't done nothin, honest!" Aeren rolled his eyes and stood the halfling up. "Then what are these..." He fished out of the halflings bags at his belt, a; pendent with the sign of Moradin, the dwarf's god on it, a necklace with a holy symbol at the head, and a small bag of gold with the family sign of Gro-Khash embedded upon the leather.

The party stared incredulously, then searched their packs. "The little filcher! Let me at him!" Alexis raged, starting toward the halfling. Aeren put a hand to her shoulder, then handed them each their item back. The halfling watched them all, sweat forming under his brow. "So, if I join you blokes, I don't go to jail?" The elf smiled and nodded, and the halfling calculated his chances of escaping the jail twice in two days. Not much. "Fine, you win. You've got yourself a contract." Everyone in the party except the elf frowned, but trusted their newly founded leader's judgement. "Welcome to the team, Rogue." Burz helped him up and the dwarf untied him. Tommy rubbed his wrists where he had been tied, then looked at them all. "So, where we headed?"

Thanks to all the people who read.

DJ- You rock dude. Thanks! XP

Tiger- Thanks for the kind words.


	3. Chapter 3

Fellowship of the Outcasts

Chapter Three

"Dude, Where's My Halfling?"

Before you even think of it, I do NOT own "Dude, Wheres My Car?"

Enjoy!

Tommy was slumped over, walking like a shackled slave between Burz and Jorander, though no metal touched his skin. He had already tried to escape, three times in fact, but that damned clever elf had caught him every time. He was now being made to walk inbetween the half-orc and the dwarf, with threats of bruises if he tried again. He trudged moodily, looking up the line of the party. In front of him, the dwarf, then ahead of him, the human girl, next the damned elf. He glanced behind him, then at the dwarf. As far as he could tell, neither of his 'guards' were looking. He raised his middle finger at the elf, snickering, then grunted and groaned as he felt a sharp kick in the rump. "Show respect to our guide, Rogue, or you'll be cooking tonight."

The halfling grumbled, then shivered. _Crag Hollow...why on earth would they want to go there? All thats there are a few bandit encampments and..._ he shivered again. He wouldn't think about it. He couldn't. Not after what he saw there...Tommy jumped suddenly when an owl hooted loudly in a nearby tree. The half-orc started laughing. "Whats wrong, Rogue? Afraid of the hooters?" The rogue glared back at him and crossed his arms, walking straight and strong now. "Stupid owl..." He looked up. The sun was almost competely set, and the stars were starting to show. "We'll set up camp soon, over this hill!" the elf called out from the front of the line.

Sighs of relief echoed throughout the small group, as the stretched for the last small knoll that lay before them. As the group reached the top of the small hill, they heard an odd grunting and breathing. The ranger raised a silent hand, signalling to stop. Listening, he realized it was a bear making its way near, senseing pray. Waiting for it to reach the top, he walked slowly, cautiously over. "Easy, mother bear...I mean no harm. I am a freind of the forest..." He reached out slowly, using a small nature spell to calm the beast. As soon as his hand got near to its great head, however, the bear let out a great roar and stood on its hind end, swatting Aerendyl to the side. He hit a small tree and his head cracked against the roots as he fell, knocking him out. "Feral bear, laddy! Get ye back!" He pushed the halfling to the side, digging his fingers into his pouches.

"It's time for a bit o' me magic, beasty!" He threw his long beard over his shoulder, pulling out a small ball of bat guano, his other hand mixing the small ball with a few specks of sulfur. Burz's eyes widened, and he sprang into action, grabbing the unconcince elf and pulling the halfling back. Alexis was already running for cover, diving over the dip of the small knoll. The dwarf's eyes gleamed manically as he began weaving the spell. "_Itshoslanpincalan/Etsomanalanorata/Inofalacar_!!!" A small bead of what looked like harmless fire sprang from his fingertip, but as soon as it hit the bear, it exploded into a roaring fireball, consuming everything within 20 feet, including the bear. The dwarf was blown backwards, and with a giddy laugh, he rolled back several feet.

After a few seconds, Alex looked up to the top of the hill. Growling, she stalked over to the dwarf and picked him up. "What in Pelor's name did you think you were doing? You could have blown us to sticky bat shit covered bits!" She grabbed his beard and yanked it up, bringing tears to the dwarf's eyes. "Calm down, Lassy! I 'avent gotten te use any o' me magic fer weeks! I was just having a bit 'o fun!" She started shrieking at him, though Burz and Tommy coudln't even understand her words. As she ranted on, she pulled on the dwarf's beard at every high-pitched point, bringing more tears to his eyes and making him stand on his tip toes.

Burz glanced down at the halfling out of the corner of his eyes with a smile, for Tommy was holding his stomach, trying not to laugh at the ridiculous site of a dwarf being pulled to his tippy-toes by his beard. Picking up the elf and pulling the rogue with him, Burz walked over to the shrieking cleric, tapping her shoulder. "You need to look at Aeren to make sure hes not broken anything." She spun to him, murder in her eyes. "And YOU! You..you...!" She glanced up at the unconciense elf. "Oh FINE. Just put him down." Burz laid him down and the cleric kneeled, looking over him. As she felt along his ribcage, the elf's eyes shot open, and he sat up at an unbelievable speed, a knife to the cleric's throat. He was panting, and she watched him cautiously. "Aerendyl?" The elf's eyes glanced back and forth, to the half-orc, dwarf, and halfling.

Regaining his composure, he dropped the knife to the ground, muttering an apology. She nodded, then pushed him back down. "Let me check you for injuries. You took a good beating from that bear." He layed back down, grimacing. "That bear...it was...infected. In the mind somehow..I can't quite...place it. It was like it wasn't even a thinking creature anymore...like it was no more than a rabid beast." He felt ash under his fists and looked in a circle from where he lay. "What happened?" He looked over at the tree he had been knocked against, but it was no more than a log of ash sticking into the air, with a few fires on what was left of the branches.

"Trigger-happy here decided he need practice blowing things to bits." Burz clapped the dwarf's back, knocking him forward a couple steps. "Bah!" The dwarf regained his balance. "Look at it this way, ya drunkard! It was your turn to cook tonight, and I did your job for you." The short bearded dwarf pointed at what was left of the bear. It was simmering, the hair had all but been burned off, leaving just the tender meat. "Well, then I guess I owe you one, Shorty." He put his hand on the dwarf's head, leaning on it, grinning.

"All done. You're fine, no serious injuries." Alexis stood up, brushing the knees of her robes off. The elf sat up, but hadn't heard a word any of them said. _I've never felt anything like it...that bear was in pain...mad with greif...or something which was had entered its mind and left a trace of its madness...we have to figure out what."_ He stood up, then looked up at the moon. Burz looked around, then walked next to the elf. "I see no reason to keep moving. We've got a place already cleared up here, with an easy fire and food." He pointed to the bear. "Shall I start preparing camp, Aeren?"

The elf looked at the small hill. Everyone was tired, and so was he. "Very well. We make camp here." Within minutes they had set up camp, and started a small fire for warmth, taking bits of the all but incinerated bear. The elf thanked Ehlonna for the gift of food and prayed for the beast, taking his food to his own corner of the camp and sitting. The rest of the party ate and made merry, the halfling swiping Burz' flask and taking a glug before the half-orc swiping it back, warning that the drink was too strong for the little man. They all laughed and the halfling stood up, giving them a dance. With the small sip that he took, he was already a little buzzed, and everyone but the elf laughed as he swayed and lost his footing, falling to his face. The dwarf pulled him up and they clapped, appraising the halfling for his fine showmanship.

After eating, they set up their bedrolls and settled down to rest, waiting for the next adventure. The halfling lay in his bedroll, but could not sleep. Thoughts of Crag Hollow, memories kept him jumping at every sound now that everyone else was asleep, and he felt alone. He almost had a heart-attack as he saw something move across the camp. Seeing it was the elf, he calmed down, then halted, sitting up and watching. He was leaving...the halfling stood up stealthily and began to follow the elf, weaving between the bedrolls. The elf was following a small animal trail down to a forest located down the path.

The halfling followed silently, wondering what the Ranger was up to. He followed him deep into the forest, into a small clearing where the moon shone down upon a simple cut log, which served as a seat. The elf sat upon this log and pulled out a small panpipe flute, beginning to play. The music was beautiful, weaving throughout the trees, almost as if Ehlonna, the Forest Goddess herself, had granted a blessing on his music. The halfling, enthralled, walked into the clearing and sat, legs crossed, watching him play. He was soon joined by an array of wild beasts and birds, all sitting quietly, not daring to disturb the sacred song that was the elf's music.

He finished playing, and the wild things burst into a symphony of squawks, squeaks, and grunts, applauding him. The halfling looked around, then clapped for the music. The elf smiled down at him, and walked amongst the animals. "Tell me, Tommy...what do you fear in Crag Hollow?" The halfling frowned instantly, fearing for his past secrets. "Wha...what do you mean?" he stammered.

The elf put a hand to a wild boar's tusk, his other hand on its bristly fur on its face. Putting his head to its forehead, an array of emotions crossed his face. Pain, fear, disgust, despair...he pulled away quickly, then waved his hand. The animals seemed to take this as a sign, and dissapeared into the forest, leaving the halfling and the elf alone. "Come now, Tommy Undergallows." He sat in front of the halfling, crossing his legs as well. "Share your secrets, and I shall share mine."

The rogue hesitated, then out of curiosity for the elf's past, began to share his secret. "I used to be a bandit in one of the camps that dot the Hollow." The gulped, licked his lips, then continued. "But I couldn't stand the death and decay, the haunts of the night and the war in the morning. I ran away, only to be followed." Aeren handed him his flask, and the halfling took a sip, licking his lips once more. He was shaking, but he didnt' care, and went on. "They followed me day and night...there was no rest. They only stopped when I got to the...the..." He stopped and realized his was panting quickly. The elf layed his fair hand upon the little man's shoulder. "You can take as long as you want."

The halfling nodded, then continued. "The Black Temple. Once called Lord's Valley, the Black Temple stands there as a tribute to the undead...and the undead's source, I would imagine..." The elf's eyes widened, and he stood up, beginning to pace. "You have seen the Temple? Did you go inside it?" The halfling shook his head quickly. "No..I would never have dared..." The elf sighed and thought. "You fear if you go back, you will be caught..." He smiled and sat upon the log again. "Have no fear, Tom. I shall keep you safe." He dug in his pockets, then brought out a silver chain, hanging upon it the sign of the goddess Ehlonna. "This will also help." He removed Ehlonna's crest and handed the silver chain to him. "You may hang whatever good luck charms you may have upon this." The halfling let the chain slide between his fingers into his next hand, then repeated, feeling the almost liquid coolness of it. "What...what about your secret?" The elf smiled, and nodded. "My secret, is that I am a runaway from my nation."

The rogue's eyes widened. "You ran away from the elflands? What would possess you to do that? They are supposed to be the most beautiful of all..." The elf smiled, and replied, "Yes, well, the political fever there is worse than most other nations I believe..." The halfling nodded, then stopped dead. "You...you were a senator?" The elf smiled, but shook his head. "No, but as for what I am, it will have to wait another night. Its time to get some sleep, for we have a long day ahead of us." He stood up, lifting the small man to his feet. "Come. Back to the camp. I assume you have decided on weather you will be staying or leaving?" The halfling nodded with a big grin. "Definitely staying. I have nowhere else to go..." The elf smiled and lead the way back up to the camp.

Tommy Undergallows laid down upon his bedroll, and sleep came to him quickly. No restless thoughts, no bad dreams, his sleep was peaceful, for the first time in months...the elf watched quietly, then took up a sitting stance, folding his legs and holding his arms around lightly, for elves do not sleep, but meditate in a restful slumber of peaceful tranquility. The elves breathing soon became restful, along with Tommy's, and clutched in the little man's hand was the silver chain, now adorning the crest of Olidammara, the god of the Rogues...

Chapter Notes:

Sorry for such a long chapter, much longer than my usual. I had a lot of fun with this one, and just got caught up in the fervor of writing. Now I can see why its so addicting to my friends. This was an especcially great chapter to write, because unlike the small barfight in this chapter, I actually played with this one. I rolled the random encounter to acheive the bear, rolled the animal empathy to see if Aeren would suceed in calming it..(I rolled a 1, critical failure. . Ouch.) The rest of the battle was pretty simple. I had fun with the dwarf wizard, Jorander, who gets a little trigger happy with his spells, and Alexis who is the kind of stuffy cleric, but the funnest so far is Tommy Undergallows, who, if some of you are game fans, will recognize from the hit game Neverwinter Nights for the PC. I always kept Tommy with me in the game, and I love using him in this story. I think that now that I have my books again, (Monster manual 1 2, players handbook, Dungeon Masters guide, etc,) It will be fun to actually PLAY OUT my chapters that I write, maybe invite a few friends over to play the characters and see how that works out. Thanks to all those who read, especcially my friends. Thanks to DJ, Tiger, and Brian for being my inspiration, and Rammy, who I'd like to base Alexis off of. Hope you liked this chapter, next one will be out soon. Peace!

-William


	4. Chapter 4

Fellowship of the Outcasts

Chapter Four

"BY ALL THAT IS HOLY...BEARDED ELVES!? NOT WHILE I LIVE AND BREATH!!!."

I do not own Dungeons and Dragons, Burz Gro-Khash or Tommy Undergallows. I do not own Aleswell.

Enjoy.

Aerendyl opened his eyes from his trance, just as the morning sun began to peak over the high peaks of the Aranor Mountains. He stood up and stretched, bending backwards, then forwards, then twisting his waist. As soon as he was finished, he looked around the camp. The campfire had all but died, now down to burning cinders. His companions sleeping rolls lay around the fire, his companions still asleep. They were all sleeping peacefully, even the halfling, clutching his new chain in his little fist.

Aerendyl went around in the small circle, shaking the human, half-orc, dwarf, and halfling, respectfully, out of their stupor. A few groans and yawns later, the entire party was awake, rolling their sleeping bags and doing their usual morning activies. The half-orc filled his flask back up with ale from the last tavern he kept in stock in his bag. The dwarf, having already finished rolling up his sack, sat to the side and began memorizing spells for the new day. The cleric kneeled and prayed to her god, thanking him for the spells she would be using this day, and the halfling cleaned his tools, including picklocks and probes.

Tommy smiled over at Aerendyl, holding up the chain and nodding his thanks once again. Aeren nodded and as soon as everything was packed up, stood in the middle of camp. "Today we must make a small detour from our quest. There is a small town nearby, called Aleswell, and I wish to check something that has come to my attention recently." The party looked around at each other, then the dwarf piped in from his studies. "We have no problem with tha', laddy...but first ye must be tellin us why." Aeren nodded and looked around.

"The bear that attacked us yesterday, it wasn't just feral. It had gone completely mad. Something had gone into its mind and induced the madness on purpose. After checking another animal in those small woods last night, I found that many animals have gone through this ordeal. I plan to find out what, or who, is doing it." _So thats what he was doing..._ Tommy thought. He had no love for most animals, but whatever it took to avoid going back to Crag Hollow, he'd do voluntarily. "So where's Aleswell?" The small man piped in.

Aerendyl spread a map over one of the large stones near the camp. "South of here, through those woods..." They all gathered round the map. The dwarf looked over the map. "Oh no, no, no...never will I go through those woods again. Lair of a Beholder, those woods be. Nuh uh. Not if Moradin himself ordered me too." The all looked at the dwarf in confusion. The dwarf sputtered and threw his hands up. "A BEHOLDER! Big, ugly turds that float around in the air and have tentacles with'n eyes on the ends!"

Aerendyl blinked. He had heard of such creatures, but thought they were legends. "So we'll sneak past it." The dwarf looked up at him in astonishment. "Are ye daft, boy!? Tryin' to sneak past a 30 eyed beast? The Beholder is a god among monsters! It'll rip ye intestines out your arse! After it chews you up, it'll spit you out and feed ye to its eyes!" The dwarf made tentacle like motions with his short arms. "How do you know?" Burz asked politely. "How do I know? HOW DO I KNOW!? I was there you hunk of ale-rot! Almost got eaten alive!" The dwarf stomped around the camp. "Barely made out with me beard! And it stole one of me best spellbooks, the beast did!"

"Well, that settles it then. We're going in, if nothing but to get your book back." Alex yawned, stretching her back. The dwarf stammered, looking around at the group. "Ye can't honestly...Beholder..." He crossed his arms. "Ye'all be mad! I won't do it, nope! Can't make me, niether, no you can't!" He looked around at the party, his chubby jaw locked. "I've set me foot down, I 'ave!" The halfling walked over. "Oh, comon, Jorander! You're the wizard of the group, without you we'd be defenseless!" he tried sweetalking him. "You're the power behind our fists and knives!" But the dwarf remained unmovable.

Burz whispered something in Alexis' ear, and she nodded, grinning a fierce smile. She stalked up behind the dwarf, then grabbed his beard, dragging him forcefully over to the side of the camp, ripping a few beard hairs out on the way.Burz, Aeren, and Tommy watched curiously, as the woman bent down and whispered in the dwarf's ear. They could tell by the menacing expression, and her narrowed eyes that she was threatening him somehow, and the utter look of pure terror on his face also helped.

The dwarf stomped over to them, grumbling and walking towards the forest, not bothering to wait for them to catch up. Burz was indeed impressed. "What did you tell him?" Alexis smiled a sickening sweet smile, like a poisoned candy, and replied in a cute voice, "I told him I'd rip his beard off and sell it to an elf to wear." She walked past him smoothly, then followed the elf and halfling. Burz remained standing, then smiled, hefting his pack and followed the party, shaking his head.

Alright, sorry guys. Not only is this LOOOONG overdue, but its also very short. Its 3 AM in the morning right now, and I haven't gotten sleep for the last 4 weeks. I promise to try harder, and look forward to the next chapter, for there will be monsters. many Monsters. Whee! Thanks for all those that support.


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